Groundwater can become contaminated in a many different ways… which means you WELL WATER can get contaminated just as easily. As an example, a natural event such as flooding from the thawing of snow and ice in Spring often carries water contaminated with bacteria, nitrates, nitrites, etc. into places it ought not go.
Local officials in Upstate New York know all too well the potential dangers presented by Springtime runoff and have issued a statement to residents not currently connected to a city (municipal) water system: We Suggest You Test Your Well Water.
They have also taken steps to make free coliform bacteria and nitrate testing to available.
BATAVIA — In the wake of well water contamination reports in the town of Batavia north of the city, the town is encouraging any property owners in the town who do not have public water to contact the Genesee County Health Department and request a one-time sampling of their well, the town said in a news release.
It is the town’s experience that wells within its boundaries are highly susceptible to contamination during the spring thaw, news release said. The town is working with the county Health Department to determine the extent of well contamination and “considers this an extremely serious issue that demands immediate action,” said the release that is also posted on the town’s Web site..
The Health Department has notified the town of water well contamination in the area of State Street Road, Batavia-Elba Townline Road, Route 98 and Bank Street Road, the release said. But the sampling recommendation is for the entire town.
The Health Department will collect a sample and plot the location of the well with a Global Positioning System survey device, the release said.
Property owners may request a test for coliform bacteria and nitrates. The samplings will be funded by the town and results of the tests will be available at the Town Hall, it said. Any property owners interested in public water are encouraged to notify the town in writing, either with an informal petition, by individual letter, or e-mail. In areas of concentrated interest, the town will begin the process of seeking grant funding to extend public water to those areas, the release said.
People who suspect well contamination can refer to information from the Health Department that can be found on the town’s Web site, www.townofbatavia. com, at the Town Hall or at the Health Department, it said.
Those with questions or seeking further information can contact town Engineer Steve Mountain at (585) 343-1729, Ext. 220. The county Health Department can be reached at (585) 344-2580. ( source )
It makes us very happy to see local officials not only taking an interest in the quality of the water in their community, but also taking pro-active steps to help residents learn about possible issues that could affect well water in the community and providing free tools to test for possible well water contamination.
Water Testing Blog hopes more communities will follow in the footsteps of Batavia, NY when it comes to keeping citizens apprised of possible threats to their water supply and making testing available when threats may exist.
